People with intellectual disabilities as bloggers

Abstract

The concept of social capital, the socially constructed category of intellectual disability and the social practice of blogging may appear initially to be unconnected. In this study we report on an attempt to link the three as we examine the consequences of giving a group of people with intellectual disability supported access to the Internet and specifically to that section of cyberspace known as the ;blogosphere'. Using the Social Capital Question Bank as a framework, we interrogate the data in an attempt to discover whether the qualities associated with successful inclusion within society might be available via the blogging community. Along the way we touch on issues related to policy, daily life and who or what counts as a friend.

Bridging the digital divide for people with intellectual disability

“…Video or picture entertainment is also very popular . However, online browsing or communication that requires a great deal of reading or writing poses problems (Harrysson, Svensk, & Johansson, 2004;McClimens & Gordon, 2009;Molin et al, 2015;Shpigelman & Gill, 2014;Wong, Chan, Li-Tsang, & Lam, 2009). And although, compared with the rest of the population, fewer of these people use the Internet and spend less time on it (Parsons, Daniels, Porter, & Robertson, 2008;Wells & Mitchell, 2014), they seem to be more at risk of online sexual victimization or extortion Normand & Sallafranque St-Louis, 2015Wells & Mitchell, 2014).…”

How does risk mediate the ability of adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life by using the Internet?

“…Examples of monitoring strategies designed to mitigate or prevent harm include providing chaperones or supervisors (Slavin, 2002;McClimens &Gordon 2009) For example, McClimens andGordon (2009) examined the consequences of giving adults with IDD supported access to online blogs. They report how they offered training on issues such as using pseudonyms and withholding private information.…”

From solitude to solicitation: How people with intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder use the internet

“…On the Web, they are freer to "go" where they want and make friends with whom they want, unseen by their guardians and caregivers (Löfgren-Mårtenson, 2008). They can describe their activities and express their feelings in blogs or other social media (McClimens & Gordon, 2009;Shpigelman & Gill, 2014).…”

“…This support would help them through their difficulties building broader, further-reaching social relationships. For example, paired with university students, adults with ID learned to create their own blog (McClimens & Gordon, 2009), or to share photos and comments on Flickr (Kydland, Molka-Danielsen, & Balandin, 2012). Raghavendra and colleagues (2013) taught Internet use to adolescents with cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injuries who had limited circles of friends, in the hope of expanding their social networks.…”